Naruto:Depth Of The Root
by Susanoo Totsuka
Summary: Seizing the moment after the Fourth Hokage's death, Danzo, with the help of an ages old Rule, comes into the possession of Naruto, container of the Kyuubi. Now with the go ahead to turn Naruto to NE, how will the world change?


Just like every other aspiring Fanfiction writer on this website, whom take their works seriously or not, I do not own Naruto, nor any Naruto affiliations as they belong to Masashi Kishimoto, the creator, writer and illustrator of said possession.

Now that that's over. I've been an adamant reader of Fanfiction for quite a few years now. And have come to a conclusion. There are not as many great Naruto Fanfictions out there that should be for certain areas. And if there are, they're either Abandoned, Not completed, or on Hiatus which we all know basically means 'I'm done with this so move on'. Which is why I'm here. To try my own hand in the Fanfiction world of Naruto. Now, I'm not saying I'll be able to focus solely on one story, as I have a tendency to move from one idea to another... very quickly.

Anyways, as for the guidelines of this story:

-There will be no pole for Pairings. Nor will this story be a 'Yaoi' story as this is one of the aspects that ruins great storyline plots, in _my_ opinion.

-I will not take a whole entire sentence and turn it into Japanese/Chinese from English, nor will I incorporate Japanese/Chinese Kanji from English letters to add 'Dramatics' to the story. I will use single to two Japanese/Chinese words, as well as do my best to keep Nin, Gen, Ken, and Tai jutsu as close to their original wordings as possible.

-Don't ask for Honor and Integrity. These are NINJAS for the sake of the people! They have NO Honor, They have NO Integrity! Now, I'm not saying that Naruto will collect fee from his client , or stand behind his friends and stab them in the back with a Kunai, but He won't be this kid Ninja that has this Honor that people not even today have.

-This will not be a kid friendly story. There will be Swearing, Gore, Sex, lewd comments and other adult items that some should not read. Not that this will stop you, I was ten and reading rated M Fanfictions. This is just a warning going out to people.

-Naruto Will be an Emotionless Weapon. Maybe in the long run, not for Danzo, but an emotionless weapon. I've read very few Naruto Ne stories and even when I have he retains his emotions, and through some fucked up reasoning... That Kami awful Jumpsuit! Here he will not so turn around now if you're going to complain about this.

Prologue:Love Me Not

Kyuubi No Kitsune, One Of The Nine tailed Bijuu to be split from the Juubi by the Sage Of Sixth Paths. A demon of unrivaled power. This demonic being bared down on the village of Konohagakure no Sato, Wrath clear in its eyes as its teeth gnashed together, paws slamming to the ground and crushing anyone, and anything that go within its path of destruction.

Across the field from the beast, on the head of a Gigantic Toad with a scar through its eyes, was the Yondaime Hokage of The Village Hidden In The Leaves, Konoha. The Kyuubi's benevolent chakra had forced his wife, Kushina Uzumaki, into a premature labor, almost a complete month before their child was to be born. The stress of the birth, coupled with the demonic chakra which radiated off of the fox in waves of power, had, unfortunately, forced his wife to pass on to the afterlife.

So it was, with a heavy heart, the man had taken the sleeping child from his deceased wife's arms before, once again, returning to the battle field. This time, his child in his arms, on on his child's stomach, an obvious intricate seal design. "Naruto..." The man spoke to the sleeping baby, his eyes clouded with sorrow. "Please forgive me for what I'm about to do. For more than likely, I'm condemning you to a life of hell..." With these words spoken, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, placed his child down onto the head of the toad they stood upon.

**"You don't have to do this, Gaki**." The Toad spoke, forcing Minato to smile, pain in what he was about to do, evident in his eyes.

"But I do, Gamabunta. I made a pledge to put myself, my wife, and even... My own child after the village when I took up the title Hokage."

**"I understand, Minato, but I'm not sure your son will."**

"I know, Gamabunta..." Minato spoke as the Kyuubi's eyes finally landed on him, seemingly laughing at him mockingly for once more returning to its battlefield. "I don't have anymore time, Gamabunta... Here it goes... Shiki Fujin No Jutsu!" The man cried out as the Kyuubi lashed out, murdering more of his men and women, more of his 'Family', in rage at hearing the words. The kyuubi rushed forwards, snout practically ready to release a utterly destructive blast.

The beast released a screech as it drew in a deep breath and then, all was quite as a demonic vortex ripped itself open, right in the center of the Sky. From the vortex a ghostly covered skeletal hand came, gripping the rims before pulling and equally ghastly body from the vortex.**"Who Dares summon me? Who dares summon the almighty, Shinigami!"** The beast questioned those around it before his eyes finally came lay on the blond haired Namikaze sitting atop the toad's head. Said man stared at the Death God in awe before finally coming back to his senses.

"I have, Shinigami-Sama. I, Minato Namikaze, have summoned you here to this plane to seal, _that_, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, into my son, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze." Minato responded, The Shinigami's hollow eyes staring straight through his soul.

**"Have you now? Do you know the price for what you have done? That you will reside in my stomach for your entire afterlife, eternally tortured?"**

"I do know this, Shinigami-Sama. And I accept this, as long as my Village and my son are safe, I will take any torture, for any time period. Even for eternity."

**"A brave soul you are, Minato Namikaze... Very well, I will seal the Kyuubi No Kitsune into your son, for the price of your life. Be prepared, you do not have much longer on this plane of existence."** With that said, the shinigami turned away, bringing his scythe into the air before slamming it into the ground as a blinding flash connecting from the Kyuubi to Naruto appeared. The Kyuubi roared in pain as its paws slammed into the ground, the demon slowly becoming smaller as it was drug forwards by the blinding light.

It didn't take long, but a few second, for the Kyuubi to be completely dissolved by the blinding light, the seal on the child's stomach glowing brightly as he wailed, and the ninja of Konohagakure cheered in victory. Minato smiled as he fell to one knee, staring up at the Shinigami. "Thank You."

**"Thank me not, mortal. You have exactly two minutes left on this plane before I call your soul to me for my payment."** And with that, The Shinigami was gone, in yet another vortex that made itself known in the air before disappearing. Gamabunta glanced upwards, a sad stare in his eyes.

"My time here's up, Minato. I'm sorry." And with that, the giant toad was gone in a puff of smoke, leaving the dark blond headed man to fall the stories long difference to the ground. He was, however, caught and saved in the arms of a gray haired man, The Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Minato... Why did you do this? You're so young. So full of promise and talent. Why couldn't you let an old man like me preform the Shiki Fujin Jutsu?" The old man questioned, tears in his eyes as he stared down at his blond headed successor.

"Now, Now, Saru... No time for regrets now is there?" Minato asked as he coughed, blood beginning to leak from his eyes and mouth as the ocean blue that had been filled with so much life began dulling at an alarming rate. "Listen Sarutobi, I don't have much time left. This is my... Son, Naruto. I've sealed the Kyuubi No kitsune into him... And wish for him to be seen a hero."

"That's a fools dream, Minato."

"So was becoming Hokage. But a lot of times... The people of Konoha can surprise you..." Minato spoke with a smile. The Sandaime Hokage nodded his head as the man released his last breath of aire before reaching downwards, taking his almost clone like child, bar the newly formed whisker marks, from his arms.

Looking down into the face of the child, Sarutobi sighed as Ninja began surrounding the body of his successor, before the deceased blond haired man was slowly, but surely hoisted in the air as the victory of the day was forgotten, replaced by the loss of one of the greatest shinobi to ever grace the five elemental nations. "Minato..." Sarutobi spoke softly, knowing the man could not hear him as he began his slow track back to the village, more so, the council meeting room. "Sometimes I believe you to be a bigger fool than I..."

~Council Chamber Room~

"Sandaime-Sama!" A short, rather obese, man with brown spoke, his face clammy, and his eyes filled with hatred. "Do you not understand the implications you're speaking, The consequences that we will have to face if we let that... That... Thing live and roam freely in our village! Not only would it be a mockery, it could be lethal!

"Yes, well since your opinion mean little to nothing to me, I suggest that you sit down and quite yourself! And do not speak out of place again!" The aging man exclaimed throughout the room. Five minutes, it hadn't taken the Council five minutes to decide that they wished to ignore the Yondaime's final death bed wish. It had taken them Five minutes to decide that they wanted to call for his blood, before Sarutobi could even finish his explanation of the situation.

"Now, I will only say this once! We will no abandon our Yondaime's wish, nor will we murder this innocent child. And if you believe me so weak that I will not enforce this here and now, I call for you to make a move towards this child." The current stand in Hokage demanded of the Council who that it was their place to over run _his_ Village.

"Hiruzen," One of the voice in which Sarutobi had least wanted to hear during this whole scenario spoke out above the rest,"If I may speak, I ask that the boy, Naruto, be placed in my personal Anbu Division, Root." Danzo spoke, forcing the Sandaime Hokage to cringe, just at the name of the Branch. It wasn't that the Root Anbu were Weak, or not well trained, no they were all powerful in their own right, maybe even more so than his own Anbu Squadrons. But it was the way Danzo brought this about, bringing children up together, telling them they were brothers, and then forcing them to kill each other, kill who they saw as brothers.

While this may have been the safest place for Naruto to be stored, even to be removed at a later date, Sarutobi wasn't going to risk Danzo's sneaky treachery. "No, Danzo. You're request to have young Naruto placed in your Root vision has been denied." Hiruzen responded as Danzo gave him that emotionless one eyed stare, the one that told him the old War Hawk still had something under his sleeve.

"Very well Sarutobi, I wish it hadn't come to this, but you've forced my hand."

"What are you talking about Danzo?"

"During your initial reign over Konohagakure No Sato, you gave each member of your council the ability to call the Hokage into question, should his emotions seem to be stronger than his will for the village. This is exactly what I am seeing. You are too emotional over what the Yondaime Hokage has asked of you and therefore wish to put a death bed wish, and a child with so much potential, before the village where it shall be wasted. Therefore, I place into vote: That Naruto Uzumaki remain under the watchful eye of the Sandaime Hokage, or that he be handed over to me, to be blended into my Root Anbu."

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes at Danzo. It was true, in his initial run, during the Third Great Shinobi War, he had allowed too much power to go to the council. As a result, to gain power back, he had given them this ultimatum, which they had taken. Sighing, Sarutobi waved his hand towards the council, gaining their attention. "Very well, Danzo. As this is all true, the vote will take place. But, as said in my law, only the Shinobi half of the council, my advisers, and myself may have say in this. If everyone is prepared, we all know where Danzo and I both stand with our votes." With these words spoken, the Shinobi council began talking amongst each other as the civilians watched on.

Finally, Shikaku Nara stood to his feet. "I, Shikaku Nara, vote for Naruto to remain under the Current Hokage's eye." Following this, his two former teammates stood to their feet, giving their agreements with Shikaku.

"The Inuzuka clan," Tsume Inuzuka spoke up, cutting off the noise that had began due to the former 'Ino-Shika-Cho' trio announcing their faith in the Hokage. "Vote for _it_ to be placed under the care of Danzo."

"The Hyuuga Clan, even though loyal to the Hokage from the time that this village has been founded, to the time that the final remaining person takes their last breath, Second the motion for Danzo to watch of Naruto Uzumaki." Hiashi spoke, his eyes staring down on Naruto, without emotion.

"The Uchiha and Hyuuga have never seen eye to eye. We would all much rather commit senpaku than agree with each other... But I vote for Danzo to watch over Naruto Uzumaki, and for said child to be initiated into the Root Anbu." Fugaku spoke, almost taking the breath out of the elderly Hokage. That left two people within the room to vote. The very two people that had been on his Genin team when he graduated from the Konohagakure academy.

_'Please...'_ The old man thought to himself as he stared pleadingly at the two who would decide the fate of the young Uzumaki child, _'If ever a time for you to finally see the light and agree with me, it would be now!'_

"We're sorry, Hiruzen." Koharu spoke, breaking the old Hokage's heart, "But we both agree with Danzo. You've already become too attached to the boy, because of our Yondaime Hokage's dying wish, and instead of putting the village before him, he has come before the village. Therefore, we both vote, that the position as the Guardian of Uzumaki Naruto, to do with said child as he wishes, be given to Danzo." With that, Sarutobi slumped back in his seat, head hung in both shame and defeat.

"I'm sorry, Hiruzen." Danzo spoke, the one armed/eyed man appearing before him without a sound, and speaking as if he was actually far from apologizing. "I promise to give you reports on his progress. Please hand the new addition to the Root Anbu over to me now, so we may have everything prepared, where I stay." Feeling numb, the Sandaime reached forwards, the child in his arms, before allowing Danzo's one good arm to free him of the burden. "It's the right thing to do, Sarutobi."

And with those final words, Danzo, and the Yondaime Hokage's Legacy disappeared from the Council's Chambers, leaving those behind to ponder on what had just occurred. Then, with little haste, every person began filing out of the giant room that they had sat in, discussing the future of a small innocent child, until only Sarutobi was left, to wallow in self grief.

~Danzo~

"Root!" Danzo called out as an Anbu appeared beside of him.

"Danzo-Sama?"

"Take this child, Naruto Uzumaki. Have a room prepped for him, _away_ from the other orphans. This child... He is special. He will be introduced to the others at year Five, just enough time for him to get acquainted with the other children. Just enough time for him to see one as a 'Brother'. And in just enough time... To kill them."

"Hai, Danzo-Sama." The Ne Anbu spoke quickly, taking the child and leaving the man to plot what direction he was to take the training of his newest weapon, for when the time came.

I am not truly going to take this chapter any farther. it is three fourty eight A. M where I am, and I am completely exhausted. Until next time, Goodbye.


End file.
